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Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Thirteen Reasons Why.

So I've been AWOL for a while. Hopefully you've been missing my insights? Anyway, I'm sure you'll be relieved to know there are 13 reasons why. Well, actually 14.

Reason 1: After 20-some posts, I needed a break. Step back, evaluate, and come back fresh. So here I am, sans regret. (Let's leave it at that for now, save I return to that topic later.)

Reason 2...through 14: I've been reading instead of writing. This isn't generally an either/or thing for me: I'm a writer through-and-through and have been
since somewhere in middle school when the reading bug morphed into the writing bug. Anyway, a week or so back, I got sucked into a book I couldn't put down: Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher. And when I say I got sucked in, I mean SUCKED. IN. I mean, read-on-the-train-and-at-lunch-then-sit-in-your-cube-all-day-dying-to-know-what-happens-next.
So that's why I've been...away.

Luckily, I haven't been permanently away like the female protagonist of this book. Hannah Baker has committed suicide. (Yes, of course you find this out within the first few pages. No spoilers here!) Before she did it, however, she created a series of audio tapes that are mailed to a list of people who led to, reinforced, and otherwise impacted Hannah's decision to take her own life. Clay Jensen is one of the unlucky people on that list, and the book describes the night he spent exploring his town through Hannah's eyes.

I'm hesitant to review the book because I just don't think I can do it justice. There are many things I can say, but the author's voice (yes, WA-WM, people...the "six traits" live on!!) is probably the number one thing that kept me reading. Hannah and Clay speak so clearly that I felt as if I knew them. Moreover, while I know you all will probably think this is morbid...the book is hilarious. When an author can make a suicidal girl and the guy listening to her last words each funny, they're award-worthy in my mind.

If you doubt me or are even just curious, either trust me or check it out for yourself. I'll be reading his newer stuff very soon!

One last thing: if you or someone you know may be thinking about suicide, please know there is help available, and there are people who care. I don't know who's reading my blog these days, so if you by chance got here because you or someone you know are thinking about suicide, tell someone. If that doesn't work, tell someone else. Please. If you'd prefer to talk anonymously, visit www.hopeline.com or call 1-800-SUICIDE anytime, day or night.